Fixing Device and Method for Producing the Same

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a fixing device for securing components, such as fan devices, heating devices and other air-conditioning devices, to padding foams of vehicle seats, and to a method for producing the said fixing device. Owing to the fact that the component has at least one adhesive fastening part ( 22 ) which, together with at least one corresponding adhesive fastening part ( 24 ) which is connected to the padding foam ( 12 ), forms a releasable adhesive fastening with which the component is held in a fixed manner in contact with the padding foam ( 12 ), the adhesive fastening formed in such a manner provides a releasable connection between component and foam.

The invention relates to a fixing device for fixing components such as fan, heating and other climate control units to padding foam parts of vehicle seats, and a method for producing the same.

Modern and comfortable vehicle seats increasingly require insert or attached parts such as the aforementioned fan, heating and other air conditioning units (cooling loops) for proper climate control of the seat. Moreover, if necessary other components can be attached, such as seat recognition systems, acceleration sensors for airbag units, actuators as power transmission means and the like. It has already been suggested that speakers be integrated into the padding foam parts especially in the region of the headrests.

In all these solutions, generally recesses are cut into the already produced foam part, in a size which corresponds to the installation size of the later component as an insert part. To fasten the insert part in the foam then generally a special plastic cement is used which captively connects the insert part to the foam. Dismounting of the insert part from the foam, for example to replace it with a new device in case of maintenance, separation, is possible only destructively, in which generally large parts of the foam material are torn out at the same time; this results in the new installation becoming a problem. The indicated plastic adhesives are often objectionable in processing so that the corresponding exhaust systems must be provided which in turn increase production costs.

On the basis of this prior art, the object of the invention is to further improve the known solutions while retaining their advantages, specifically reliable attachment of the component in or on the foam, such that installation and maintenance processes are facilitated and moreover the production costs for placing the components in foams can be reduced. This object is achieved by a fastening device with the features specified in claim 1 in its entirety and a process with the features of claim 10.

In that, as specified in the characterizing part of claim 1, the component has at least one adhesive fastener part which forms a detachable adhesive fastener with at least one corresponding adhesive fastener part which is connected to the padding foam, and with which the component is held stationary on the padding foam in contact, there is a detachable connection between the component and foam via the adhesive fastener which has been formed in this way and which is often referred to as the mark “Kletten® [hook and loop fastener]”, and both the component in the initial outfitting can be connected to the foam and also later replaced by a corresponding new component in maintenance and repair processes by hand with low engagement forces, without using special adhesives which may be environmentally harmful. By using adhesive fastener parts for attaching an insert part to an associatable foam, especially in the form of padding foam, the production costs can be reduced compared to the indicated adhesive treatment.

Preferably a production process with the features of claim 10 comes into play, in which to produce a receiving space in the foam a molded part which is matched to the geometry of the receiving space is placed in a foaming mold which has magnetic insert parts to which the respective adhesive fastener part adheres, such that via its back a connection to the foam takes place, and the interlocking parts located on the front remain at least for the most part free of foam. In this way, upon foaming in the foaming mold the later receiving or contact space for the component can be directly produced without later having to cut notches for recessing of the foam material, as in the prior art. This clearly helps reduce production costs.

In one preferred embodiment of the fastening device according to the invention, the component is designed as an insert part which is enclosed at least partially by the foam, by means of the adhesive fastener the insert part being held in the foam in the insert position in contact. In this way the component can be accommodated in a space-saving manner in the foam material, preferably without protruding.

In an altered embodiment of the fastening device according to the invention, it is preferably provided that the component is designed as an attached part which by means of the adhesive fastener is at least partially in contact with the outside surface of the foam. Preferably it is furthermore provided that the attached part to the outside is equipped with a cover which has at least one access opening. In this way the component can be placed from the outside on the padding foam material so that the thickness of the foam material can be kept small. In this way, vehicle seats already in use can be retrofitted with the required attached parts.

Other advantageous embodiments of the fastening device according to the invention are the subject matter of the other dependent claims.

The fastening device according to the invention is detailed below using two embodiments as shown in the drawings. The figures are schematic and not to scale.

FIG. 1 shows in the manner of a perspective assembly representation a first embodiment with an insert part in the form of a fan unit and an associated foam part with a receiving space for the insert part which is to be inserted into the foam;

FIG. 2 shows in a perspective top view a tool for producing the fastening device as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows in the manner of a perspective assembly representation a second embodiment in which an attached part in the form of a fan unit can be placed from the outside on the foam part of a backrest.

The first embodiment of a fastening device shown in FIG. 1 is used to fix insert parts in foams, the embodiment as shown in FIG. 1 showing as the insert part a fan unit 10 which is to be inserted into padding foam 12 of a vehicle seat which is not detailed. The padding foam 12 as illustrated in FIG. 1 is shown essentially as a square block for the sake of simplicity and therefore constitutes only a sectional cutout from a larger padding foam part, as conventionally forms the seat part or the backrest part of a vehicle seat. Furthermore the padding foam 12 is shown without covering material. The padding foams used in the regions of vehicle seats generally consist of PU foam which can be foamed into molded parts.

The fan unit 10 has a rectangular fan housing 14, preferably of plastic material, in which there is a fan wheel 16 which can be driven by an electric motor which is not detailed. This electric motor which is not detailed can be connected via an electrical connecting cable 18 to a power supply source which is not detailed for its operation. In the padding foam 12 a rectangular receiving space 20 is made which in terms of its geometry, especially its outside contour, is chosen to be somewhat larger than the outer periphery of the fan housing 14. The insert part in the form of the fan unit 10 should be enclosed in the installed state by the foam and conversely has at least one adhesive fastener part 22 in the form of a fleece or matted fiber material. This adhesive fastener part 22 in the installed state of the insert part with the corresponding adhesive fastener part 24 which is tightly connected to the foam 12 forms a detachable adhesive fastener which is also referred to as a “hook and loop fastener”. In this way, by way of the two adhesive fastener parts 22, 24 which form a detachable fastening, the insert part can be held stationary in the form of a fan unit 10 in the foam in the installation position.

As FIG. 1 furthermore shows, the respective adhesive fastener part 24 which is connected to the foam 12 is made larger in area than the associated adhesive fastener part 22 of the insert part, here in the form of a fan unit 10. In this way, increased connection reliability is achieved and in the embodiment more adhesive fastener parts 22 are joined to the foam 12 than there are associated adhesive fastener parts 22 on the insert part. In particular, the receiving space 20 in one plane has adhesive fastener parts 24 which are diametrically opposite one another in pairs so that the receiving space 20 especially on its front end is provided with a total of four adhesive fastener parts 24, conversely the fan housing 14 has only two adhesive fastener parts 22 which are diametrically opposite one another; in this respect, this makes it possible to install the fan unit 10 in the receiving space 20 of the padding foam 12 in an optionally turned arrangement to the fan axis of the fan wheel 16.

The adhesive fastener part 24 of the foam 12 consists of a so-called microfastener part with individual interlocking elements 26 located on one side in the manner of interlocking mushrooms. They are located on a carrier strip 28 which on its back has a cover strip 30 which in the illustrated embodiment projects on both side over the respectively free side edge region of the carrier strip 28. The indicated cover strip 30 is provided at least partially with ferromagnetic components or otherwise has a magnet means (not shown) with a function which will be detailed below. These adhesive fastener parts 24 are disclosed in different embodiments in DE 100 39 940 and DE 103 41 152. Another embodiment is shown in DE 103 41 151.

For detachable installation of the fan unit 10 in the padding foam 12, the fan unit 10 is inserted by hand into the receiving space 20, with low actuation forces direct interlocking of the corresponding adhesive fastener parts 22, 24 to one another taking place. The fan unit 10 then need only be electrically connected to a supply source via the connecting cable 18 in order in this way to ensure climate control of the foam 12 of a vehicle seat. For the dismounting process it is sufficient to again remove the fan unit 10 by releasing the adhesive fastener from the receiving space 20. Instead of the illustrated fan unit 10, a host of insert parts can be fixed on the foams 12 in this way. In addition to heating and other air conditioning units such as cooling loops, speakers, sensors, seat recognition systems, actuators and the like can be detachably anchored in foam parts of any type.

To produce the receiving space 20 as shown in FIG. 1, the cubic molded part 32 shown in FIG. 2 is used; it can be inserted into a foaming mold which is not detailed for producing the padding foam 12. The molded part 32 seen in the direction of looking at FIG. 2 on its bottom end has magnetic insert parts 34 which can be inserted as magnetic bars into the metal block as a molded part 32. The respective adhesive fastener part 24 is then fixed on the respective holding regions 36, 38 such that the front with the interlocking elements 26 is in contact with the contact surface 40 of each holding region 36, 38 and the projecting edges of the cover strip 30 extend over the magnetic insertion parts 34 such that on the one hand magnetic adhesion occurs and on the other the interlocking elements 26 are sealed against penetration of foam material. If the padding foam 12 is then removed from the mold after the foaming process, the molded part 32 has produced the receiving space 20 and the respective cover strip 30 of the adhesive fastener part 24 is securely joined to the foam material along its back and the interlocking elements 26 which project forward in the form of individual mushroom heads are available for engaging the corresponding adhesive fastener part 22 on the respective insert part. It is within the scope of the solution according to the invention to provide the adhesive fastener parts 22 of the insert part in the padding foam 12 and the adhesive fastener parts 24 there on the insert part. Mixed forms are also conceivable in which in one part both adhesive fastener parts 22 of one type and also adhesive fastener parts 24 of the other type are used.

The following second embodiment as shown in FIG. 3 is explained only to the extent that it differs significantly from the preceding embodiment. In this connection the same components are provided with the same reference numbers, as in the preceding embodiment, and the statements made in this respect then also apply to the embodiment described below.

FIG. 3 shows a rear view of a backrest 42 which is connected forward to a conventional seat part 44 of a vehicle or aircraft passenger seat. These seat components are shown only schematically and in the form of padding foams 12. In the top third of the padding foam 12 of the backrest 42 there is in turn an essentially rectangular receiving space 20 which is encompassed to the outside at a distance from four individual, strip-shaped adhesive fastener parts 24. They are in turn anchored with their back securely in the padding foam material 12 and their interlocking or mushroom elements 26 protrude to the outside clear of the padding foam material 12. The component to be attached in the form of a fan unit 10 is designed as an attached part and has a cover 46 which encloses the actual fan wheel 16 and discharges on the front side into a contact plate 48.

On the free front side of this rectangular, especially square contact plate 48 there are in turn four adhesive fastener parts 22 arranged in a strip such that in the attached position these adhesive fastener parts 22 detachably form the respective adhesive fastener with the adhesive fastener parts 24 on the padding foam material 12. Preferably the adhesive fastener parts 22 in turn form a loop or matted fiber material. Fixing is in any case designed such that under a certain contact pressure the adhesive fastener parts 22, 24 interact strongly with one another and the edge-side foam material seals the pertinent contact such that air can flow unobstructed from the outside into the receiving space 20 via an access opening 50. It can also be provided that in order to cover the back of the fan wheel 16 the pertinent fresh air supply be provided on the edge side of the cover 46 (not shown). In this way a component can also be connected later to the seat components from the outside and it is preferably furthermore provided that a padding coating material which is not detailed enclose the attached fan system from the outside in order in this way to eliminate the danger of possible injury.

The fastening device according to the invention is versatile and can be produced especially advantageously. In particular, with the fastening device long-lasting use of foams is possible even if the components to be attached in the course of maintenance or repair processes would have to be changed more frequently. 

1. Fixing device for fixing components such as fan (10), heating and other climate control units to padding foams (12) of vehicle seats, characterized in that the component has at least one adhesive fastener part (22) which forms a detachable adhesive fastener with at least one corresponding adhesive fastener part (24) which is connected to the padding foam (12), and with which adhesive fastener the component is held stationary in contact on the padding foam (12).
 2. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the component is designed as an insert part which is enclosed at least partially by the foam (12) and wherein by means of the adhesive fastener the insert part is held in the foam (12) in the insert position in contact.
 3. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the component is designed as an attached part which by means of the adhesive fastener is at least partially in contact with the outside surface of the foam (12).
 4. The fastening device according to claim 3, wherein the attached part to the outside is provided with a cover (46) which has at least one access opening (50).
 5. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the respective adhesive fastener part (24) which is connected to the foam (12) is made larger in area, especially longer, than the associated adhesive fastener part (22) of the component.
 6. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein more adhesive fastener parts (24) are joined to the foam (12) than associated adhesive fastener parts (22) on the component.
 7. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the component is a fan unit (10) with drivable fan wheel (16) which is surrounded by a rectangular fan housing (14) as a cover which has an adhesive fastener part (22) on at least two diametrically opposite sides.
 8. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive fastener part (24) of the foam (12) is a mushroom fastener part and the adhesive fastener part (24) of the component is a fleece or matted fiber material.
 9. The fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive fastener part (24) is provided with a carrier strip (28) with interlocking elements (26) which are located on it on one side and with at least one cover strip (30) which forms at least one free side edge area which extends beyond the associatable longitudinal edge of the carrier strip (28), and wherein the cover strip (30) has at least partially ferromagnetic properties.
 10. Process for producing the fastening device according to claim 1, wherein to produce a receiving space (20) in the foam a molded part (32) which is matched to the geometry of the receiving space (20) is placed in the foaming mold and has magnetic insert parts to which the respective adhesive fastener part (24) adheres, such that a connection to the foam (12) is established via its back and the interlocking elements (26) located on the front remain at least for the most part free of foam. 